The present invention relates to a fruit juice dispenser or the like having a receiving device for a concentrate container provided with a spigot hose, the dispensers having a hose pump driven by an electric motor with a squeezing means which extends into a hose receiving chamber and can be displaced in the direction of conveyance, and having an electromagnetically controlled water feed device arranged between the hose pump and spigot opening.
In one fruit juice dispenser which is today on the market, a collapsible container in which fruit juice concentrate is contained is received in a receiving device developed as cooling compartment which is cooled by a cooling unit. The concentrate can be removed from the concentrate container by a spigot hose which is arranged on the bottom of the container and the end of which is connected to a spigot valve. In such a fruit juice dispenser the spigot valve is adapted to be connected to a water feed device which dilutes the concentrate with water before it emerges from the spigot opening.
The fruit juice concentrate is pumped or fed in dosed amount from the container through the spigot hose by means of a pump. In the known fruit juice dispenser, a hose pump is used which prevents direct contact between the fruit juice concentrate and the pump. The hose pump consists of a rotating pump disk on the edge of which squeezing means are arranged which can move away inward against spring force, in this case in the form of squeeze rollers, said means pressing the hose, placed against the rear wall around the disk, in such a manner that constrictions are produced in the hose, these constrictions being moved along by the rotation in the direction of conveyance. By this peristalsis, which is produced by a stripping-out movement, a volume transport up to the spigot opening is assured.
Such a pump has the disadvantage, on the one hand, of excessive wear and, on the other hand, of taking up a relatively large amount of space. The wear is due essentially to the strong stripping-out action of the rollers. This furthermore results in a creeping and thus to a tensioning of the spigot hose which lead to its flattening. The places of connection must therefore be made very stable in order to counteract the possible risk of tearing. Furthermore, as a result of the arcuate deflection of the spigot hose around the pump disk, which is approximately of palm size, an unnecessary excess length of the pump hose results. The said relatively large amount of space required is due to the swinging away movement of the bow-shaped rear wall near the housing. Handling is also inconvenient, since work must be done on the front surface of the apparatus. There are scarcely sufficient gripping possibilities.